Locomotive boiler



ApriS, 1929. l vc. G. HAWLEY 1,708,920

LOCOMOTIVE BOILER Filed March 20. 1926 Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

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unirse srarss CHARLES GILBERT HAWLEY, OF CLEVELANB, H, ASSGNOH TO LQGMTVE JBGX CQMPAIY, GF CHICAGO, ILLNIS, A COlEtERAIClN 0F EJELAAEJE.

LOCOMOTIVE B01111113.

Application filed March 20, 19526.

This invention relates to improvements in locomotive boilers and it consists of the inatters hereinafter described and inore particularly pointed out in the appended claiins.

The primary object olf the present invention to provide a siinple and c'l'licient nieans directly7 associated with the l'lue sheet of the boiler, which. operates in that part o'i' the iiall in boiler Water level, initially uncovering or exposinga part olf the crown sheet adjacent the 'flue sheet. to liinit the saine to an area which is sate in practice but Will act to perinit a leakage or a small ainount of steain into the lirebox, suliicient to be observed in the stolring of the lirebox, thereby in'lorining the fireman of the actual Water level in the boiler, irrespective of the level indicated by the usual gages.

A further object of the invention to provide in the flue sheet, between predetermined vertical rows of lines therein, channels which are open at the top and bottom only and which act to deliver Water upon the head of the crown sheet near the flue sheet end, in such amounts as to liinit the dry spot on the croivn sheet uncovered by a falling Water level to one of small dimensions, and about the stay bolts of which, steam escapes into the lirebox to be observed by the one etchingl the fir-eben.

rllhese objects ot the invention as Well as others, together with the many advantages thereo'll will niore fully appear as l proceed with my specification.

lin the drawings zlligr. 'l is a vertical longitudinal sectiona view through the tirebox end of a locomotive boiler embodying iny invention.

lling. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the saine as taken on the line 2-2 oiI Fig. l. i

3 is a detail horizontal sectional. vieiv on an enlarged scale as taken on the line 3 3 ot Fig. l.

Fig. l is an enlarged detail vieiv of parts .shown in Fig. l and which vvill be incre fully referred to later.

Ale'l'erring),1 noiv in detail to that embodi- V.ment of the invention illustrated in the accoi'upanyinpl drawings :mi indicates the back or door sheet ot the ireboX and 2 indicates the 'flue sheet thereof and forming a continuation ot the line sheet, is the inside throat sheet 3. rll`he sides oli the lirebor: are formed by the side sheets 4L-4 and the top of the Serial No. 95,135.

hreboar is provided by the transversely arched or curved crown sheet 5 which nierg'ges into the lirebox side sheets L1 4. Said side sheets and crown sheet extend between and are counected at their ends to the bach sheet l and liuc and throat sheets f2 and 3 respectively, the crown sheet being inclined upwardly from the bach sheet toward the flue sheet that its highest point or head G is at the liuc sheet end thereof.

The Wrapper oll the boiler includes a. roof sheet 7, a back head 8, outer lirebor; sheets 9-9 and an outer throat sheet l() together with a. boiler shell il, all in 'the manner ivell known. rlhe iront and rear Water legs 12 and 1 3 and the side Water legs le-ld are all closed at the bottoni by a niud rino' 15, While tie bottoni of the iireboir is oriiied by the grate indicated by 'the dotted line 16 in Fig'. l. ln the bach head and baclr sheet respectively is formed the fuel door opening 17 and extending` forwardly troni the 'flue sheet 2 are the tlues or tubes i8 through which the products oit combustion from the irebox are drawn to the sinolre boi; at the liront end olf the boiler (not shown) in the inanner well known. The rooi'I sheet and crown sheet are connected by the usual stay bolts 19, as are the side sheets 4: and 9, throat sheets 3 and l0 and baci; sheets l and 8 respectively. The construction just described is typical. el that type oit locomotive boiler now in Lgeneral use and need not be described in greater detail.

ln locomotive practice, the usual Water level desired 'to be maintained, such as lo keep the crown sheet submerged at all tiuios. However due to the amount of Water geni-rated into steain for the inteildcd purpose ol the locomotive, the water level falls. @faire glasses in the cab are intended to indicate the levels ol the water but such devices are ofte-n inaccurate, not always due to any :faulty construct-ion therein, but to vcertain boiler conditions such as surgingrs and foainiugs Which will produce in the gage glasses. levels which do not correspond to the actual Water level in the boiler. ililhen the real Water level 'lialls below that point, goed locomotive practice demands be maintained, the lirst part ot the croivn sheet to be uncovered there by, is that point olf highest elevati and Which point is usually the head (i olf: the crown sheet, which is located in the longitudinal inedian plane of the transversely curved crown sheet. Such a level as will uncover or expose' this part of the crown sheetis` best indicated at in Figs. 1 and 4.

To maintain or limit the'uncovered or dry area on the crown sheet head or high end, to one of as small a dimension as possibleI provide means directly associated with the flue sheet for conducting water from the bottom of the boiler space to the top of and to the rear of saidflue sheet, which water is flooded or washed over the lateral portions of said crown sheet to limit the dry area as best shown at 21 in Fig'.- 3. In the flue sheet, I form spaced Vvertical portions thereof, between adjacent rows ofrflues, to provide rearwardly extending channels 22-22 which preferably taper in cross sectional area from the top to the bottom end, said channels opening into the boiler water space to the front of said flue sheet. On said flue sheet 2 in the plane oleach channel I secure an upright plate or strip 23 which terminates at its top end f'lush with the crown sheet, and'ter'mina-tes at its bottom end above the'bottom of said channel to provide an inlet 24 as best shown in Fig. 1. later from the bottom boiler water space, enters the inlets 24 and rises in sai'dfch'annel to be discharged out through thetop ends thereof. The water issuing vfrom the topI end of the conduits floods in all directions, and thjat water flooding or washing toward the medianline of the crown sheet will limit the area of the dry spot thereon to' one ofsmal'l din'iensions. Even though an excess of water be flooded uponvthe crown sheet head, which would completely cover` or wash overthe' area of said head, there would be nothing detrimental in such action because as long as vthecrown sheet is submerged lor covered 'with water, no dangerous conditions `can arise. y However it is not the intended purpose' of said conduits to' completely flood or wash the head of t-hecrown sheet.

As soonY as that water level approaches which willr uncover said area of the head, that portion of the crown sheet becomes dry and excessively hot and somewhat softens so' that the `steam pressure in the boiler causes itto buckle or bend downwardly into theirebox. As the flexing commences, said portion of the crown sheet tends to pull away from the stay bolts 19 therein so that steam escapes in a continuous j et in the firebox as best shown in Fig.

4. When such a condition is observed by the firemanv during the stoking of the irebox, more Vwater is ted to the boilerto reestablish the desired safe water level which completely submerges all portions of the crown sheet. Thereafter there may be a leakage of a small amount of waterinto the ir'ebox but such a leakage will beiimmaterial because the locomotive is withdrawnk from service at the first opportunity along the ru-n. As the fuel door is opened at frequent intervals and in many cases is left open, the presence of steam blowing intothe firebox is instantly observed and as instantly warns the engine crew that something is wrong in the boiler water level even though the gage glasses indicate a sufficient amount of water in the boiler so that the water level conditions may be rectified. Thus the construction just described constitutes a positive low water telltale or indicator which operates trom that portion of the boiler directly affected and cannot prove false in its telling or indication.

lVhile in describing my invention, I have referred to certain details of mechanical construction as well as iorm and arrangement of the parts thereof, I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A locomotive boiler embodying therein, a firebox including a crown sheet and a Hue sheet, the crown sheet having an elevated portion, and means directly associated with the fine sheet and forming channels operating at a predetermined low water level for flowing water upon that portion of the crown sheet which would otherwise be exposed at said low level, said channels opening at one end through the crown sheet and at their other end through the flue sheet and being adapted to isolate andY maintain a portion of lil'nited size of said crown sheet so as to act as a low water telltale.

2. A locomotive boiler embodyn therein, a iirebox including a crown sheet aving a raised head at one end and a flue sheet, said flue sheet being formed to provide vertically disposed channels therein, plates closing the open fronts of said channels thus providing conduits opening at their bottom ends into the lower boiler water space and opening at their top ends through the crown sheet at opposite sides of the head so as to supply boiler water to said sides of the head and thereby limit the size of the exposed area of the head upon the fall ot the boiler water level below `that of the crown sheet head.

3. A locomotive boiler embodying therein, a iirebox including a crown sheet and a flue sheet, said flue sheet being formed to provide a plurality of channels of tapering cross sectional diameter from top to bottom, a plate fixed to the nue sheet and extending across each channel and terminating short of the bottom end there, each channel opening through the crown sheet at the flue sheet end thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 16 day of March', 1926.

CHARLES GILBERT HAWLEY. 

